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British singer FKA Twigs and honorary vampire Robert Pattinson shared a whirlwind romance. The pair met in the summer of 2014 and only a few months in, Pattinson reportedly popped the question - stronger emphasis on reportedly, since Pattinson only told reporters they were "kind of engaged". Though the pair kept to themselves and made it hard for fans and the media to steal an inside view of their relationship, in the summer of 2017, secrets and strife bubbled to the surface when the duo split. There was talk that Pattinson had cheated and even that Twigs had suffered emotional abuse of some kind. The web of complicated rumors left many wondering exactly how the singer feels about Robert today.
In recent years, the singer has opened up about her time with Pattinson and made it clear that was a web of complicated reasons contributing to their breakup. We’re unpacking the comments she has made about Pattinson - the good, the bad, and the shocking - to take a closer look at how she really feels about her famous ex.
Robert Pattinson’s Fans Hurled Racist Abuse At FKA Twigs
Although the singer never accused her ex of racist abuse, Twigs recently addressed how Pattinson's loyal, albeit intense, fanbase often fronted a viciously racist campaign against her.
Speaking to podcast host Louise Theroux on his show, Grounded with Louise Theroux, the singer explained how to Twilight fans, Robert was their white Prince Charming and I think they considered that he should definitely be with someone white and blonde and not me.” She continued on to say how despite the mutual love between her and Robert, "people called me the most hurtful and ignorant and horrible names on the planet."
Twigs' Most Recent Album Alludes To Enduring Heartbreak
Even though the pair broke up over four years ago, the pain emanating from her ex still permeates Twigs music today. With stories of tumult now known, fans are listening back to Twigs most recent album, Magdalene, released in 2019.
In her heartbreaking song Cellophane, FKA twigs repeats the lines: “They wanna see us, wanna see us apart / They wanna see us, wanna see us alone." Towards the song's close, she sings: “They’re watching us. They’re hating. They’re waiting, and hoping I’m not enough”. The lines are interpreted by many as referring back to the online trolling she suffered at the hands of Twilight fans.
Twigs Knows Herself Better Now Than She Did With Robert
While speaking with New Music Daily With Zane Lowe, Twigs proclaimed that she's "never know herself better" after splitting from Robert Pattinson. She described a process of "unmeshing" after splitting from somebody you've been "very entwined with." Elaborating on her journey to self-discovery, she added: "unmeshing is like, you have to really find out - I had to really find out who I was. But I’ve always known who I am, but it’s just kind of discovering who I was in adult crisis", adding that being independent of a romantic life is "also great."
Twigs Felt Overshadowed By Robert Pattinson
In an interview with The Guardian, Twigs made veiled comments about how her relationship with Pattinson was spent living in the proverbial shadow of Pattinon's acting success. For context on the discussion, Twigs had just closed off a discussion on her love life before she started discussing why she called her album Magdalene. She explained that the name was because of the way Mary Magdalene has been written about, as "An incredible woman who was always in the shadow of a man,” she said with irony, before adding “I can relate.”
With a picture of heartbreak painted clearly by Twigs herself, it wasn't surprising when the singer also shared with Theroux that her split from Pattinson was a move to protect her mental health.
Understandably, the comments she received severely affected her personal image. The singer admitted to Theroux how her exes hurtful fans had a "massive, dysmorphic effect on me for about six months to a year, where every time I saw my pictures, in photographs, I would think, ‘Gosh, I look like a monkey and people are gonna say that I look like a monkey, so I need to really try and hide this monkey-ness that I have'". Barnett assured listeners, though, that she's now “confident” about the way she looks now, musing to Theroux how “It was deeply unfair at the time that I was made to feel so self-conscious and so ugly."
Twigs Is Grateful For Her Past With Pattinson
Speaking with Zane Lowe on his show New Music Daily (via E!News), Twigs shared a certain kind of gratitude for her time with Pattinson, no matter how turbulent. Although she admitted that starting songwriting post-breakup was "out of control" she also added: "I feel grateful that I'm able to put my experiences and put my hardships into work."
And if the singer ever had doubts about her career during her time with Pattinson, she's clearly forged ahead in making her own career a dazzling success. Since her split with the actor, Twigs now has the appendages of '2019 MTV Europe' and '2020 NME Award Winner' added to her name.